30 of the Most Family-Friendly Houston Patios

Spring is officially in full swing in Houston which means we might have about 6 more weeks until the scorching heat sequesters us into air conditioning until Thanksgiving. Just kidding. {But not really.} Take your allergy meds, brave the pollen, and bring the kiddos along to some of our favorite family-friendly Houston patios around town. While there are many patios in Houston, we’ve found these to be the best compromise for both adults and children: food and bevs for everybody and play for the kids. Read Also :: You won’t get the side-eye from other patrons for having children acting appropriate for their age {LOUD} at a restaurant because, GASP, you want to continue living a normal life.

Multiple Locations

Lupe Tortilla :: Great play areas in most locations. I-10 & HWY 6 restaurant has a play area and a place for adults to enjoy patio drinks. Katy has a giant sandbox and play area.

Willie’s Grill & Icehouse :: A popular place to take the kids thanks to the great outdoor area and proximity to many families in Sugar Land, Katy, Cypress, Tomball, and closer into town too.

Jimmy Changas :: Members of our contributing team like that there’s a great patio where the kids can play on the playscape in both Katy and Pearland.

Uberrito :: The former Mission Burrito has a few places around town. The most famous location is the one off of West Alabama with a generous space for kids to play outdoors.

Red River BBQ :: They have a League City and a Katy location. Both have a large covered patio with a huge sandbox.

Red River BBQ – Katy

Central

Little Matt’s – Rice Village :: Free/donation-based alcohol for adults. Whaaaaat. They also have a stocked candy bar, Icee machine, ice cream, and a game room.

Punks Simple Southern Food – Rice Village :: While they don’t have a playground, per se, their outdoor seating is adjacent to a big courtyard which allows kiddos to run around.

Jenni’s Noodle House – The Heights :: The small patio in the back has a huge concrete cylinder turned on its side which makes a free-standing tunnel for kids to run through and also draw on the walls with sidewalk chalk.

Gelazzi – The Heights :: The benches behind Gelazzi are a great place to enjoy both the ice cream as well as the “Greetings from Houston” mural. Bring a camera!

Gelazzi – Heights

Cedar Creek – The Heights :: Lots of outdoor patio seating, fire pits, and a great selection of craft beer on tap. Kids love the creek that surrounds the restaurant and the bridge that crosses from one side to the other.

Crisp – The Heights :: With a great outdoor space, complete with a fountain, a ping pong table, and cornhole, this place is made for families. Their menu features gourmet hand-tossed pizzas for the kids, and parents can pair their steak and lobster with a glass of cabernet.

Axelrad / Luigi’s Pizzeria – Midtown :: This is probably one of my favorite spots in Houston. While Axelrad is technically a beer garden, it’s friendly for kids since they have a huge lot of hammocks on site, a friendly staff, and gravel. Kids love gravel. Luigi’s Pizzeria shares the same dining space, and various food vendors take their turns popping-up. There’s often live music, so it’s fun seeing people of all ages grooving to the beat.

The Patio on Richmond – Montrose :: The experts recommend grabbing some BBQ next door at The Pit Room, then coming over to The Patio on Richmond for some great rocks for the kids to play, open spaces for running, and entertaining washer stations.

8th Wonder Brewery – EaDo :: You can bring food or get it delivered. You can also bring your own non-alcoholic drinks. Kids will love the rocks on the ground, so bring the dump trucks, buckets, and pails so that they can enjoy while you enjoy a cold one with Downtown Houston as a backdrop.

Last Concert Cafe – Downtown / Near Northside :: Last Concert Cafe isn’t necessarily the fanciest place, but hey, you kind of concede to that fact if you want to maintain sanity after having kids. They serve up Tex Mex, and there’s a court of sand in front of the live music stage and hula hoops.

Niko Niko’s Market Square – Downtown :: Located in Houston’s original town center and Market Square Park, Niko Niko’s Market Square is a unique experience. Order food from the small kiosk, and either enjoy it on the patio furniture or picnic on the urban green space. There’s plenty of art surrounding the area including the “Houston is Inspired, Hip, Tasty, Funky, Savvy” mural.

Mia’s Table – Upper Kirby :: FREE. SOFT. SERVE. ICE CREAM. And amazing cookies. The kids can watch the kitchen through the window, and there’s step stools in the restroom.

West

The Del – Memorial Villages :: This new-ish place offers cornhole and huge Jenga on the patio. They offer daily happy hour from 3:00pm – 6:30pm — perfect for those of us with 7pm bedtimes!

Ruggles Green / Red Mango – Memorial :: The patios are located next to the focal point of City Centre Houston, the astroturf-fountain-accented plaza. Ruggles Green has dairy-free options which is a relief given the surge of food allergies these days. Hop by on the weekend for live music.

Ruggles Green – City Centre

Dish Society – Katy :: Their patio is on the play area at La Centerra and perfect for the kids to run around while you enjoy a special treat. They serve local foods and operate with a farm-to-table concept.

Texas Borders – Richmond :: This casual eatery has the best of both worlds – great food for the whole family and a fenced in playground for the kid’s entertainment.

South

MOD Pizza – Pearland :: They have a great playground with outdoor covered tables.

North

Sharky’s Waterfront Grill – Kingwood :: This Lake Houston spot is particularly popular with families as things start to heat up. There’s an outside fountain where the kids can play, and you can’t beat the sunsets over the water.

Woodson’s – Conroe :: Touting their priority of sourcing locally, this new location offers up beers on tap as well as a patio equipped with games.

Please Note :: While we make every effort to crosscheck current links and various business details on our guides, we always encourage you to do the same before making final plans. If details are missing or incorrect, please let us know so that we can make every attempt to correct them. And if you know of any other great patios, include them in the comments to continue the list too!

About Kristine H

Kristine grew up in Houston where she met her husband Richard. The high school sweethearts welcomed their daughter Kara {2014} after naturally overcoming infertility. Sixteen months later, their son Ray {2015} joined their family. She balances the allergy mom life as well as a full-time job at an oil & gas supermajor where she is the queen of PowerPoint. Her Houston roots run deep with her Bachelors degree from the University of Houston and MBA from Rice University. Kristine loves traveling, good food, and experiencing all things H-town with family and friends, especially drinks {bars, breweries, boutique coffee shops!}, museums, and of course, BEYONCÉ. You can follow her adventures on vu hu life, Instagram and Twitter {@vuhulife}.